


Let's Go Up In Flames Pretty Lady

by floralknight



Series: Bad things happen bingo [1]
Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Other, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:20:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24007273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floralknight/pseuds/floralknight
Summary: Juno and Nureyev are caught in am impossible situation. They know what they have to do.
Relationships: Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel
Series: Bad things happen bingo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1731391
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	Let's Go Up In Flames Pretty Lady

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my first bad things happen bingo submission for the prompt tears of fear!  
> Please please check the tags!! People die in this!! I really don't want anyone to be triggered by this or anything ! If you still want to read then thank you and enjoy the pain train! :D

The final step in the mission was almost complete. The curemother prime was already safe in the Carte Blanche with everyone else. Juno was to rig the bomb that would destroy the space station it had been stored in. He remembered the first of many briefings they had in preparation for the mission.

_ “Juno, you will be the extra pair of eyes while Vespa and Ransom go to retrieve the case. You’ll want to take out any security drones and cameras but otherwise, it should be safe,” Buddy explained to him weeks prior during a family meeting, “Then after that, you will take the bomb I’ll provide to the center of the station and activate it-” _

_ “A bomb? Nobody said anything about a bomb!” Juno protested, scowling, “Aren’t there going to be people in the station? You’re going to kill them?” _

_ “We will be hitting during the night shift on New Year’s Eve so there will only be two guards there watching the security cameras. Most of the security is left to the drones anyway,” Buddy explained, “Jet will be taking down the guards and sending them down planetside in an escape pod. Nobody gets hurt, we destroy all of the physical copies of data while Rita wipes the digital, and to top it all off we finish the biggest heist of the century with a bang.” _

_ “Okay, but why do I have to be the one to set the bomb?” Juno asked. He was as satisfied as he could be with the fact that nobody would be hurt. Buddy probably implemented that part of the plan to make sure he would still be on board. _

_ “You are setting the bomb because everyone else will be busy with their jobs. Rita will be keeping everything shut down. I will be playing captain and monitoring the mission. Jet will be handling the guards. And Vespa and Ransom will be bringing back the case,” She told him as if it was obvious, “I would do it myself if I could, but I have my job and you have yours, dear. You just have to deal with it.” _

_ “I’ll go with him if he needs,” Nureyev suggested, “I know the fastest route from the entrance to the center of the station by heart and I can be fast. Once the case is secure in the ship I can go back and make sure activating the bomb goes smoothly.” _

_ “I’ll allow it,” Buddy nodded, “Now you both need to know that you will have ten minutes from when the bomb to when it detonates, which means we will have to be on the ship and out of range in that time. Do you two think you can do that?” _

_ When they both agreed she smiled, “Sounds like a plan then.” _

Juno eyed the briefcase in his hand that held one of the most dangerous bombs money could buy. The thought of having such a powerful weapon in his hands was honestly a little terrifying. His gaze snapped up from the case, though, when he heard racing footsteps approaching the room he was in.

“Juno?” Nureyev’s silky voice called.

“In here,” Juno called back.

When the thief entered the room Juno’s anxiety lowered a bit. He felt better knowing he wasn’t alone in this. 

Nureyev grinned mischievously, “Time to get this over with, I suppose.”

“Yeah,” Juno set down the case and opened it. He was amazed by the fact that something so deadly could be so small. Nureyev helped him set it up and in moments the screen showed a timer at ten minutes with a button next to it.

“Ready to run?” Nureyev asked, holding out his hand.

“Always,” Juno laced his fingers with the other’s and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. Nureyev grinned and pressed the button. The timer read 9:59 and that was the last the pair saw of it as they began their race through the corridors. 

Everything was going smoothly, they were going to make it to the ship with plenty of time to spare. Or at least that was what they thought until a shot rang out and Juno staggered. Nureyev looked up to see a guard at the end of the hall with a blaster raised. They didn’t manage to do any more damage, though, because as soon as Juno saw them he hit them with a stun blast powerful enough to keep them down for a while. 

Nureyev heard more footsteps coming, “Juno we have to run.”

“Don’t think I can do that, Nureyev,” He said. It was then that he noticed the singed hole in the detective’s pants right above his knee.

The thief looked around for a means of escape and spotted a maintenance closet, “Come with me.”

They stumbled into the closet, footsteps rumbling past the door seconds after they had closed it. Nureyev tapped his comms, “I believe there are more than two guards, Captain. Juno’s been hit and we are trapped in a closet at least three minutes away from the ship still.”

“They must have changed their guard rotations,” Buddy said, “I can send Jet and Vespa to deal with the guards. Can you two make it in time?”

Juno groaned, “There’s not enough time, Buddy. They are headed your way. If you don’t want to get caught you have to leave now.”

“That’s not true, Juno-”

He interrupted her, “Yes it is. Ransom can make it there in time but I sure as hell can’t.”

“Juno, I’m not leaving you,” Nureyev said, trying to keep his voice from cracking as the reality of their situation set in.

“You can’t do that!” Juno said, “You can escape still! You have to go now!”

Nureyev ignored him and spoke to Buddy again, “Captain Aurinko, do what you must to make sure the mission is completed.”

“I- I will,” Buddy said and they heard the rumble of the ship engine throughout the station.

“Ransom no! Goddammit!” Juno said, “You’re going to throw your life away like that?”

“It wouldn’t be much of a life without you, Juno,” Peter cradled his face and gave him a short kiss.

“ _ No!”  _ A shrill voice rang out from the comms. Rita sounded like she was crying, “Mister Steel! We can’t leave you!”

“And I can’t let you and the others die, Rita,” Juno said, trying his best to be strong even though Nureyev could see the tears beginning to fall down his face, “Go have some fun for me, will ya? I love you.”

“No Mister Steel-” Rita’s voice fell away as Buddy’s returned.

“We’re a safe distance. We will be okay,” She said and they could hear that she had begun to cry too, “It was a pleasure working with you both. Thank you.”

“Thanks for letting me do some good with you, Buddy,” Juno said, “Make sure everyone turns out okay.”

“I will.”

“It was quite a ride, Buddy,” Nureyev was still trying to stay strong as well, “I’m glad I got to be a part of it.”

The comms went out of range soon after that, leaving Juno and Nureyev alone. Juno sobbed into the other’s shoulder, “Why’d you have to stay?”

“I couldn’t handle losing you again Juno,” Nureyev said, “I’d rather spend these last moments with you than spend any time in a world that you aren’t in. I love you too much for that.”

“I- I love you too, Nureyev,” Juno said, brushing some of the thief’s stray hair behind his ear, “So, so, much.”

They were silent for a moment and Juno let out a watery chuckle, “It’s funny. I spent so long ready to die whenever and yet, not that it’s really happening I’m scared out of my mind,” The smile fades away and that fear makes itself known in his expression. He cried with his face pressed against the thief's chest, “I’m so scared, Nureyev.”

Tears began to fall down Nureyev's face as he pressed a kiss to Juno’s forehead, “I am too Juno, but at least we have each other,” He pulled Juno’s chin up to meet his face and gave him one last smile, “I’ve got you, Juno. I’ll always have you.”

They went silent, holding onto each other as the station began to shudder violently. A rumble ran through the ship. They closed their eyes and held each other tightly. Juno held onto the feeling of Nureyev’s arms around him until they were enveloped in the explosion and then they were gone.

* * *

The rest of the crew aboard the Carte Blanche watched from a distance as the station was destroyed. Jet had Rita in his arms, at first to keep her from doing something stupid to try and save Juno, but now he had a comforting hand on her back as she cried into his shoulder. Buddy didn’t say anything, just watched the wreckage with silent tears.

Vespa slammed her fist against the wall, “Dammit Steel! Ransom!”

Buddy pulled her over and they held each other. Even if she didn’t say it, Vespa had grown fond of the two and was just as torn up as the rest of them were. They all sat together for a moment until the scanners picked up incoming ships and they had to put their feelings away until they were alone. 

They were quiet for a long time even after they were safe, nobody really sure of what to do next. Once Rita was calm enough she made some calls to people Juno had known. The crew had a celebration of Juno and Peter’s lives. Telling each other about their fondest memories of them. They laughed and cried together and at the end of the night Buddy made a toast, “They were our family. They sacrificed themselves for us so we have to make sure we make good on our promises.”

Everyone agreed, they were going to make Juno and Peter proud.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry!!! I fully blame this on Missio! The whole reason I wrote this is because I wanted to use the lyric "Let's go up in flames pretty lady" as a jupeter fic title and then I was like,,,, how about I kill them! And then I realized it fit for one of my bad things happen bingo prompts and I was all >:3c
> 
> If you cried that's valid because I cried while writing this at 1am last night shfhshf
> 
> But I hope you liked it!! As always comments and kudos are appreciated ! You can find me on [my twitter](https://twitter.com/lovelynakahara?s=09), [my tumblr](https://lovelynakahara.tumblr.com/) and [my podcast tumblr](https://bentendere.tumblr.com/)!! 💖


End file.
